Thursday, April 12, 2012

Your EPA at work

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforced nearly $500,000 in fines and mandatory “environmental projects” on a school bus contractor for “excessive idling,” and as part of its anti-idling campaign to reduce the carbon footprint of school buses waiting to pick up children for their routes.
“As part of a settlement for alleged excessive diesel idling in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Durham School Services will commit to reduce idling from its school bus fleet of 13,900 buses operating in 30 states,” read an EPA press release on Tuesday.
The EPA says an agency inspector two years ago spotted buses of the Durham School Services, the second largest school bus transportation contractor in the country, “idling for extended periods of time” in school lots in New England.
“The inspector observed some buses idling for close to two hours before departing the bus lot to pick up school children,” it said. State rules limit idling to three minutes in Connecticut and five minutes in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, where the infractions occurred.
Durham reached a settlement for the violation and agreed to pay $90,000 in penalties. It also agreed to pay for $348,000 worth of environmental projects, including implementing a national training and management program “to prevent excessive idling from its entire fleet of school buses.”

Oh, it gets better:

According to the EPA, as of 2006, 30 states plus the District of Columbia had either state, county or local anti-idling regulations in place, with the city of Philadelphia setting the maximum allowable time for diesel powered motor vehicles at two consecutive minutes.
The EPA Web site even provides a “do it yourself kit” for those wishing to bring the anti-idling campaign to their school district, providing brochures, posters, a “Teacher’s Guide for use in reinforcing key messages of the Idle-Reduction campaign,” and pledge cards for drivers that read, “I’m doing my share for clean air.”

Also available for order are bus driver key chains “that can be used by bus drivers daily to remind them that they hold the key to a healthier ride,” and a five-minute training video entitled “Reducing School Bus Idling: The Key to a Healthier Ride.”

Also referenced is California’s 2003 anti-idling regulation that bus drivers must to turn off their vehicle within 100 feet of a school and must not turn the bus back on more than 30 seconds before beginning to depart – or face a minimum penalty of $100.

The EPA suggests purchasing block engine pre-heaters, which cost approximately $1,200 to $1,500 each, to reduce idling and warm up engines and passenger compartments during colder months. Also available are Compartment/Engine Block Heaters that cost approximately $2,300 to $2,500.
The EPA claims the diesel emitted from school buses pollutes the air, wastes fuel, causes excess engine wear, and is harmful to children’s health.

“Children, especially those suffering from asthma or other respiratory ailments, are particularly vulnerable to diesel exhaust,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office, in announcing the fines levied on Durham.

I have asthma. I went to and from public school on school buses for 12 years. I survived. I didn't choke to death on this unhealthy byproduct of the EPA's favorite mode of transportation. The problem comes when the exhaust leaks into the passenger compartment, as it did on one unfortunate school trip to Florida and the Bahamas in 1989 on the "Bus From Hell."

But since when has the EPA cared about asthma-sufferers? Not since they effectively banned inhalers because of their use of aerosol. Thanks to the EPA, asthmatics now have to use these crappy new inhalers that require them to take big breaths to inhale the drug. Except their inability to take big breaths the reason for having the inhalers in the first place.

Yes America, we’re paying EPA agents to stake out idling school buses all day. Learn more about a possible action-packed government career as an idling bus buster in the book “EPA Stakeout: ‘I think I dozed off there for a second, is it still running?’”
How long will it be until there’s an EPA agent in front of (or in) each of our homes? I’ll go in the garage and ask the guy who just ticketed my leaf blower.

How long will it be before the EPA has agents staking out drive-thrus at McDonald's, Carl's Jr. or all the other fast food places?

And just what qualifications are needed to become an "idle watcher?" Do you need special training? Maybe an advanced degree?

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About Me

I'm a lawyer with a bachelor's degree in National Security Policy Studies from The Ohio State University and a proud alum of The Ohio State University Marching Band. I'm also an independent military historian and author specializing in World War II, ancient Rome, ancient Greece, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Civil War. I spend most of my spare time dancing ballet (not very well). I live in Indianapolis, where I follow foreign affairs, defense policy, history, archaeology, sports (all Cleveland and Pittsburgh teams, Ohio State Buckeyes, San Diego Chargers and Los Angeles Lakers), dance, and Shakespeare.